KANZIL RODRIGUES
bureau@herald-goa.com
OLD GOA: When a 108 EMRI ambulance reaches a particular spot on a rainy day, don’t be surprised if a paramedic and a driver are found without a raincoat while attending to a patient.
This is because, believe it or not, two paramedics and two pilots (drivers) are expected to share one raincoat each.
According to reliable sources, one raincoat each has been allotted to two paramedics and two drivers for their daily use. The paramedic and driver on one duty are expected to hand over their raincoats to the paramedic and driver handling the next duty.
An officer of the 108 EMRI ambulance services has, however, admitted that it has been a “company policy” to provide one raincoat each to two paramedics and two drivers.
Worried that this could lead to infection, some paramedics and drivers have now declined to accept the raincoats.
“It’s a pity that we are subjected to such shabby treatment. I am expected to wear the raincoat used by my fellow driver at the end of his duty. I have refused to accept the raincoat and am using my personal raincoat during the monsoons,” complained the driver on one 108 ambulance.
“Moreover, we are expected to hand over the raincoat back to our superiors once the rainy season gets over and if the raincoat is found torn or worn out, we have been warned that Rs 500-600 would be cut from our salaries,” the driver said.
Each 108 ambulance team comprises two paramedics and two drivers, with one paramedic and driver expected to work on a 12-hour shift. While a paramedic gets a salary of Rs 10,000 per month, the salary for the driver is Rs 8,000.
The fact that paramedics and drivers on 108 ambulances are expected to share raincoats has surprised doctors and politicians alike.
“You are playing with the lives of people as it is not correct for two different people to share a single raincoat. This could lead to skin diseases and fungal diseases, which can easily be transmitted from one person to another,” said Dr Shekhar Salkar.
“It is a wrong policy for a company, which strives to save lives of common people but cannot take care of their own staffers, who are assisting in saving other lives,” he added.
When contacted, Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said his department was not directly connected to the 108 EMRI ambulance services offered in the State.
“The 108 services are not directly linked to the Health department as these services have been outsourced by the State government. We pay them as per their tariff and hence, all facilities, including equipment to the staff has to be provided by the 108 authorities,” said Parsekar.
“However, I do believe that everything has to be in proper condition. If raincoats are to be shared among staffers, then it is totally wrong and I will talk to the 108 authorities and will get it resolved as soon as possible,” he added.
Former health minister Vishwajeet Rane claimed he used to have a regular audit of the 108 services during his tenure as minister.
“I would have a regular audit of the services and there used to be experts running the 108 ambulance services. But now, the professional approach of running the 108 services has totally gone. As a result, a 108 ambulance takes over 25-30 minutes to reach a particular spot,” said Rane.
When contacted, 108 EMRI Ambulance Project Manager Suraj Naik the decision to provide one raincoat each to two paramedics and two drivers was a “company policy”.
“Since it is a company policy which has come from our head office in Hyderabad, we are only able to provide one raincoat, which is a double-sided one, to a pair of paramedics and a pair of pilots along with an umbrella on each of the 108 ambulances,” replied Naik.
